US Navy to evacuate 5,000 as military preps for Hurricane Irma

[inanna]

Source: CNN

Updated 12:49 AM ET, Wed September 6, 2017

(CNN)The US military has ordered the evacuation of over five thousand personnel from a Naval Air Station in Florida in preparation for Hurricane Irma.

Irma is now a Category 5 storm and one of the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic.

Currently, it is threatening to slam into Caribbean islands including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with "potentially catastrophic" force on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said.

The military is braced for it to hit the US mainland and the current forecast suggests it could strike Florida over the weekend.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/05/politics/key-west-navy-evacuation-hurricane-irma/index.html

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The UK Guardian has a live report on Irma here:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2017/sep/06/hurricane-irma-caribbean-islands-category-5-storm

15m ago 07:55

It is difficult to find fresh information about Irma’s effects on Barbuda, where the small population of less than 2,000 people is without power and phone lines.

Officials had earlier cautioned residents, and those on the sister island of Antigua, to take shelter in a statement that concluded: “May God protect us all.”

Heavy rains and winds have been reported from Antigua, where most of the Caribbean country’s population lives. More than 40 official shelters were set up for people there.

[msongs]

1. thanks for posting actual content nt

[Skittles]

2. may God protect us all

you know, like with Katrina, Rita and Harvey

[nitpicker]

3. No Irma evacuation for Guantanamo, Key West exodus starts tonight

http://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2017/09/05/no-irma-evac-for-gitmo-key-west-exodus-to-start-tomorrow/

No Irma evacuation for Guantanamo, Key West exodus starts tonight

By: Mark D. Faram ?  11 hours ago

(snip)

The base ((Gitmo)) is located on the southeastern side of Cuba and is home to roughly 5,000 military members and their dependents. Last year, Hurricane Matthew forced nearly 700 family members to evacuate when the storm came very close to the base.

The current track of Irma, however, does put Naval Air Station Key West firmly in its path, and the center of the storm could pass over or near the base on Saturday evening. Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar, Commander Navy Region Southeast, ordered an evacuation of all active duty military personnel, civilians and their dependents from Naval Air Station Key West starting at 8 p.m. Tuesday, said base spokesperson Trice Denny. The base is home to VFC 111, a squadron of F-5 fighter jets whose active duty and reserve pilots perform the role of adversary in the Navy’s air exercises.

“The admiral has ordered evacuations as far up the coast as Atlanta, Georgia,” Denny said, noting that the base personnel normally are authorized to evacuate up as far as Orlando, but given Hurricane Irma’s size, Bolivar expanded the area that base personnel could travel to for safety.

Of the base’s 17 jets, 15 will evacuate, Denny said. One is in maintenance on base and cannot fly; the other is undergoing repair work off base. In addition, one of NAS Key West’s two MH-60 search and rescue helicopters is expected to depart the base by tomorrow, Denny said. The other MH-60s was not able to fly. Those aircraft remaining behind will be sheltered in hangars, Denny said.
(snip)